Communication plug with improved crosstalk

Abstract

A communication plug having a plug body and a plurality of contact pairs at least partially within the plug body, the contact pairs including an inherent asymmetric coupling between individual contacts of one of the contact pairs and other individual contacts of another of the contact pairs. Second asymmetric coupling elements are connected between the individual contacts of one of the contact pairs and the other individual contacts of another of the contact pairs. The second asymmetric coupling elements, when combined with the inherent asymmetric coupling, provide a balanced symmetric coupling between the individual contacts of one of the contact pairs and the other individual contacts of another of the contact pairs.

We claim: 
     
       1. A communication plug comprising:
 a housing; 
 a printed circuit board (PCB) positioned at least partially inside said housing; 
 a plurality of cable contacts; 
 a plurality of connector contacts attached to the PCB, comprising:
 a first connector contact and a second connector contact adjacent to the first connector contact, the first and second connector contacts forming a second contact pair; 
 a seventh connector contact and an eighth connector contact adjacent to the seventh connector contact, the seventh and eighth connector contacts forming a fourth contact pair; 
 a third connector contact disposed between the second and the seventh connector contact, and adjacent to the second connector contact; 
 a sixth connector contact disposed between the third and seventh connector contact, and adjacent to the seventh connector contact, the second and sixth connector contacts forming a third contact pair; 
 a fourth connector contact disposed between the third and the sixth connector contact, and adiacent to the third connector contact; and 
 a fifth connector contact disposed between, and adiacent to, the fourth and sixth connector contacts, the fourth and fifth connector contacts forming a first connector pair; 
 
 a first capacitor connecting the first connector contact to the sixth connector contact to introduce mirrored capacitive crosstalk between the third connector pair and the second connector pair; and 
 a second capacitor connecting the first connector contact to the fifth connector contact to introduce mirrored capacitive crosstalk between the first connector pair and the second connector pair. 
 
     
     
       2. The communication plug of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a plurality of traces on said PCB, each of said plurality of traces connecting one of said cable contacts with one of said connector contacts, each said trace with its respective said cable contact and respective said connector contact forming a signal line, said signal lines forming at least a first differential pair and a second differential pair, said signal lines being arranged such that said first differential pair capacitively couples to said second differential pair to provide crosstalk, said signal lines being further arranged such that said capacitive coupling between said first differential pair and said second differential pair is balanced; 
 wherein said first differential pair includes a first signal line trace with the first connector contact and a second signal line with the second connector contact, 
 wherein said second differential pair includes a third signal line with the third connector contact and a sixth signal line with the sixth connector contact, and 
 wherein said balanced capacitive coupling between said first differential pair and said second differential pair is provided at least in part by said second connector contact capacitively coupling to said third connector contact and the first capacitor connecting said first connector contact to said sixth connector contact. 
 
     
     
       3. The communication plug of  claim 2 , wherein each of said first, second, third, and sixth signal lines includes a respective first, second, third, and sixth via, each of said first, second, third, and sixth vias respectively connecting each of said first, second, third, and sixth connector contacts with one respective said trace, and
 wherein said balanced capacitive coupling between said first differential pair and said second differential pair is further provided at least in part by said second via capacitively coupling to said third via. 
 
     
     
       4. The communication plug of  claim 2 , wherein said signal lines further form a third differential pair that includes a fifth signal line with the fifth connector contact and a fourth signal line with the fourth connector contact, and
 wherein said signal lines are further arranged such that said second differential pair capacitively couples to said third differential pair to provide crosstalk, said signal lines are also further arranged such that said capacitive coupling between second differential pair and said third differential pair is balanced. 
 
     
     
       5. The communication plug of  claim 4 , wherein said balanced capacitive coupling between said second differential pair and said third differential pair is provided at least in part by said sixth connector contact capacitively coupling to said fifth connector contact. 
     
     
       6. The communication plug of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a third capacitor connecting the eighth connector contact to the third connector contact to introduce mirrored capacitive crosstalk between the fourth connector pair and the third connector pair; and 
 a fourth capacitor connecting the eighth connector contact to the fourth connector contact to introduce mirrored capacitive crosstalk between the fourth connector pair and the first connector pair. 
 
     
     
       7. The communication plug of  claim 6 , wherein said first, second, third, and fourth capacitors are pad capacitors. 
     
     
       8. A communication cable comprising:
 a plurality of conductors; and 
 a communication plug including: 
 a housing; 
 a printed circuit board (PCB) positioned at least partially inside said housing; 
 a plurality of cable contacts, each of said cable contact connected with one of said conductors; 
 a plurality of connector contacts attached to the PCB, comprising:
 a first connector contact and a second connector contact adiacent to the first connector contact, the first and second connector contacts forming a second contact pair; 
 a seventh connector contact and an eighth connector contact adiacent to the seventh connector contact, the seventh and eighth connector contacts forming a fourth contact pair; 
 a third connector contact disposed between the second and the seventh connector contact, and adiacent to the second connector contact; 
 a sixth connector contact disposed between the third and seventh connector contact, and adjacent to the seventh connector contact, the second and sixth connector contacts forming a second contact pair; 
 a fourth connector contact disposed between the third and the sixth connector contact, and adiacent to the third connector contact; and 
 a fifth connector contact disposed between, and adiacent to, the fourth and sixth connector contacts, the fourth and fifth connector contacts forming a first connector pair; 
 
 a first capacitor connecting the first connector contact to the sixth connector contact to introduce mirrored capacitive crosstalk between the second connector pair and the third connector pair; and 
 a second capacitor connecting the first connector contact to the fifth connector contact to introduce mirrored capacitive crosstalk between the first connector pair and the second connector pair. 
 
     
     
       9. The communication cable of  claim 8 , comprising:
 a plurality of traces on said PCB, each of said plurality of traces connecting one of said cable contacts with one of said connector contacts, each said trace with its respective said cable contact and respective said connector contact forming a signal line, said signal lines forming at least a first differential pair and a second differential pair, said signal lines being arranged such that said first differential pair capacitively couples to said second differential pair to provide crosstalk, said signal lines being further arranged such that said capacitive coupling between said first differential pair and said second differential pair is balanced; 
 wherein said first differential pair includes a first signal line with the first connector contact and a second signal line with the second connector contact, 
 wherein said second differential pair includes a third signal line with the third connector contact and a sixth signal line with the sixth connector contact, and 
 wherein said balanced capacitive coupling between said first differential pair and said second differential pair is provided at least in part by said second connector contact capacitively coupling to said third connector contact and the first capacitor connecting said first connector contact to said sixth connector contact. 
 
     
     
       10. The communication cable of  claim 9 , wherein each of said first, second, third, and sixth signal lines includes a respective first, second, third, and sixth via, each of said first, second, third, and sixth vias respectively connecting each of said first, second, third, and sixth connector contacts with one respective said trace, and
 wherein said balanced capacitive coupling between said first differential pair and said second differential pair is further provided at least in part by said second via capacitively coupling to said third via. 
 
     
     
       11. The communication cable of  claim 9 , wherein said signal lines further form a third differential pair that includes a fifth signal line with the fifth connector contact and a fourth signal line with the fourth connector contact, and
 wherein said signal lines are further arranged such that said second differential pair capacitively couples to said third differential pair to provide crosstalk, said signal lines are also further arranged such that said capacitive coupling between second differential pair and said third differential pair is balanced. 
 
     
     
       12. The communication cable of  claim 11 , wherein said balanced capacitive coupling between said second differential pair and said third differential pair is provided at least in part by said sixth connector contact capacitively coupling to said fifth connector contact. 
     
     
       13. The communication cable of  claim 8 , comprising:
 a third capacitor connecting the eighth connector contact to the third connector contact to introduce mirrored capacitive crosstalk between the fourth connector pair and the third connector pair; and 
 a fourth capacitor connecting the eighth connector contact to the fourth connector contact to introduce mirrored capacitive crosstalk between the fourth connector pair and the first connector pair. 
 
     
     
       14. The communication cable of  claim 13 , wherein said first, second, third, and fourth capacitors are pad capacitors. 
     
     
       15. A communication plug comprising:
 a housing; 
 a printed circuit board (PCB) positioned at least partially inside said housing; 
 a plurality of cable contacts; 
 a plurality of connector contacts attached to the PCB, comprising:
 a first connector contact and a second connector contact adiacent to the first connector contact, the first and second connector contacts forming a second contact pair; 
 a seventh connector contact and an eighth connector contact adjacent to the seventh connector contact, the seventh and eighth connector contacts forming a fourth contact pair; 
 a third connector contact disposed between the second and the seventh connector contact, and adjacent to the second connector contact; 
 a sixth connector contact disposed between the third and seventh connector contact, and adjacent to the seventh connector contact, the second and sixth connector contacts forming a third contact pair; 
 a fourth connector contact disposed between the third and the sixth connector contact, and adjacent to the third connector contact; and 
 a fifth connector contact disposed between, and adjacent to, the fourth and sixth connector contacts, the fourth and fifth connector contacts forming a second connector pair; 
 
 a first pad capacitor on the PCB connecting the first connector contact to the sixth connector contact to introduce mirrored capacitive crosstalk between the third connector pair and the second connector pair; 
 a second pad capacitor on the PCB connecting the first connector contact to the fifth connector contact to introduce mirrored capacitive crosstalk between the first connector pair and the second connector pair; 
 a third pad capacitor on the PCB connecting the eighth connector contact to the third connector contact to introduce mirrored capacitive crosstalk between the fourth connector pair and the third connector pair; and 
 a fourth pad capacitor on the PCB connecting the eighth connector contact to the fourth connector contact to introduce mirrored capacitive crosstalk between the fourth connector pair and the first connector pair.